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fhall find me yare: for, truly, Sir, for your kindness

I owe you a good turn.

Prov. Call hither Barnardine, and Claudio:
One has my pity; not a jot the other,

Being a murd'rer, tho' he were my brother.
Enter Claudio.

[Exit.

Look, here's the warrant, Claudio, for thy death ;
'Tis now dead midnight, and by eight to-morrow
Thou must be made immortal. Where's Barnardine ?
Claud. As faft lock'd up in fleep, as guiltless labour
When it lies ftarkly in the traveller's bones :
He'll not awake.

Prov. Who can do good on him?

Well, go, prepare yourself. [Exit Claud.] But, hark,

what noife?

[Knock within. Heav'n give your spirits comfort!-by and by ;I hope, it is fome pardon, or reprieve,

For the most gentle Claudio. Welcome, father.

Enter Duke.

Duke. The best and wholesom'st spirits of the night Invellop you, good Provost! who call'd here of late Prov. None, fince the curphew rung.

Duke. Not fabel?

Prov. No.

Duke. They will then, ere't be long.

Prov. What comfort is for Claudio?

Dake. There is fome in hope.

Prov. It is a bitter Deputy.

· Duke. Not fo, not fo; his life is parallel'd Ev'n with the ftroak and line of his great juftice; He doth with holy abftinence fubdue

That in himself, which he fpurs on his pow'r
To qualify in others. Were he meal'd

books have it, You shall find me y'are. Very little fagacity might have instructed them, that the corruption is only in the apostrophe; and that the Poet's word was yare; i, e. dextrous in the office; a word very frequent in our Author's writings.

With that, which he corrects, then were he tyrannous; But this being fo, he's juft. Now are they come. [Knock again. Provost goes out.

This is a gentle Provost; feldom when

The steeled goaler is the friend of men,

How now? what noife? that fpirit's poffeft with hafte, That wounds th' unrefifting poftern with the ftrokes.

[Provost returns.

Prov. There he must stay, until the officer

Arife to let him in; he is call'd up.

Duke. Have you no countermand for Claudio yet, But he muft die to-morrow?

Prov. None, Sir, nane.

Duke. As near the dawning, Provost, as it is, You fhall hear more ere morning.

Prov. Happily,

You fomething know; yet, I believe, there comes
No countermand; no fuch example have we:
Befides, upon the very fiege of justice,

Lord Angelo hath to the publick ear

Profeft the contrary.

Enter a Meflenger.

Duke. This is his Lordship's man.

Prov. And here comes Claudio's pardon.

Me. My Lord hath sent you this note, and by me this further charge, that you fwerve not from the fmalleft article of it, neither in time, matter, or other circumftance. Good morrow; for as I take it, it is almost day.

Prov. I fhall obey him.

[Exit Meffen. Duke. This is his pardon, purchas'd by fuch fin,

For which the pardoner himfelf is in:
Hence hath offence his quick celerity,
When it is borne in high authority;

When vice makes mercy, mercy's fo extended,
That, for the fault's love, is th' offender friended.
Now, Sir, what news?

Prov. I told you: Lord Angelo, be-like, thinking me

R 4

remifs

remifs in mine office, awakens me with this unwonted putting on; methinks, ftrangely; for he hath not us'd it before.

Duke. Pray you, let's hear.

Provost reads the letter.

Whatsoever you may hear to the contrary, let Claudio be executed by four of the clock, and in, the afternoon Barnardine: for my better fatisfaction, let me have Claudio's head fent me by five. Let this be duly performed, with a thought that more depends on it than we must yet deliver. Thus fail not to do your office, as you will answer it at your peril.

What fay you to this, Sir?

Duke. What is that Barnardine, who is to be executed in the afternoon ?

Prov. A Bohemian born; but here nurft up and bred; one, that is a prifoner nine years old.

Duke. How came it, that the absent Duke had not either deliver'd him to his liberty, or executed him? I have heard, it was ever his manner to do fo.

Prov. His friends ftill wrought reprieves for him, and, indeed, his fact, 'till now in the government of Lord Angelo, came not to an undoubtful proof. Duke. Is it now apparent ?

Prov. Moft manifeft, and not deny'd by himself. Duke. Hath he borne him felf penitently in prifon

how feems he to be touch'd ?

Prov. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken fleep; careless, reckless, and fearless of what's past, prefent, or to come; infenfible of mortality, and defperately mortal.

D. ke. He wants advice.

Prov. He will hear none; he hath evermore had the liberty of the prifon give him leave to escape hence, he would not: drunk many times a day, if not many days entirely drunk. We have very oft awak'd him, as if to carry him to execution, and fhew'd him a feeming

a feeming warrant for it; it hath not mov'd him at all.

Duke. More of him anon. There is written in your brow, Provost, honefty and conftancy; if I read it not truly, my ancient skill beguiles me; but in the boldnefs of my cunning, I will lay my felf in hazard. Claudio, whom here you have warrant to execute, is no greater forfeit to the law than Angelo, who hath fentenc'd him. To make you understand this in a manifefted effect, I crave but four days refpite; for the which you are to do me both a present and a dangerous. courtesy.

Prov. Pray, Sir, in what?

Duke. In the delaying death.

Prov. Alack! how may I do it, having the hour limited, and an exprefs command, under penalty, to deliver his head in the view of Angelo? I may make: my cafe as Claudio's, to cross this in the fmalleft.

Duke. By the vow of mine order, I warrant you, if my inftructions may be your guide: let this Bernurdine be this morning executed, and his head borne to Angelo.

Prov. Angelo hath feen them both, and will difcover the favour.

Duke. Oh, death's a great difguifer, and you may add to it; fhave the head, and tie the beard, and fay it was the defire of the penitent to be fo barb'd before his death; you know the course is common. If any thing fall to you upon this, more than thanks and good fortune; by the Saint whom I profefs, I will plead against it with my life.

Prov. Pardon me, good father; it is against my oath.

Duke. Were you fworn to the Duke, or to the De-puty ?

Prov. To him, and to his fubftitutes.

Duke. You will think you have made no offence, if the Duke avouch the juftice of your dealing? Prov. But what likelihood is in that?.

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go

Duke. Not a refemblance, but a certainty. Yet fince I fee you fearful, that neither my coat, integrity, nor my purfuafion, can with eafe attempt you, I will further than I meant, to pluck all fears out of you. Look you, Sir, here is the hand and feal of the Duke; you know the character, I doubt not; and the fignet is not ftrange to you.

Prov. I know them both.

Duke. The contents of this is the return of the Duke; you fhall anon over-read it at your pleafure; where you fhall find, within these two days he will be here. This is a thing, which Angelo knows not; for he this very day receives letters of ftrange tenor; perchance, of the Duke's death; perchance, of his entering into fome monaftery; but, by chance, nothing of what is writ. Look, the unfolding ftar calls up the fhepherd; put not yourself into amazement how thefe things hould be; all difficulties are but eafy, when they are known. Call your executioner, and off with Barnardine's head: I will give him a prefent fhrift, and advife him for a better place. Yet you are amaz'd, but this fhall abfolutely refolve you. Come away, it is almoft clear dawn. [Exeunt.

Enter Clown.

Clown. I am as well acquainted here, as I was in our house of profeffion; one would think it were mistress Over-don's own houfe; for here be many of her old customers. Firft, here's young Mr. Rah; he's in for a commodity of brown pepper and old ginger, ninefcore and feventeen pounds; of which he made five marks ready money: marry, then, ginger was not much in requeft: for the old women were all dead. Then is there here one Mr. Caper, at the fuit of master Three-Pile the mercer; for fome four fuits of peachcolour'd fattin, which now peaches him a beggar. Then have we here young Dizzy, and young Mr. Deepvow, and Mr. Copper-fpur, and mafter Starve-Lacky the Fapier and dagger-man, and young Drop-heir that kill'd

lufty

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